Improvement in retort-furnaces for separating zinc from gold, silver,,gc



r E. BALBACiL Jr.` 1r Retort Furnaces for Separating Zinn/from[(ultl,` l

Anz mam-l /rHnaMPmc ca :vx (osaamvs's ma essa) UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.,

EDWARD BALBACH, JR., OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN RETORT-FURNACES FOR SEPARATING ZINC FROM GOLD, SILVER.Src.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,449, dated June 3,1873; application filed May 3, 1873.

-To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD BALEAGH, .I r.,

of the city of Newark, in the county of Essex l and State ofv NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Retort-Furnaces for Separating Zinc from Gold, Silver, 8vo.; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyin gdrawings which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of retortfurnaces which oscillateupon trunnions, and its object is' so to construct a furnace that it maybe turned upon a hinge at its rear end in such manner that the retortsconfined in the furnace shall be thereby inclined downward, in orderthat the contents thereof may be poured out in a liquid state withoutremoving the retorts` from the furnace. When the retorts have buendischarged of their contents the furnace can be turned again to anupright or horizontal position, and the retorts recharged for themelting of the fresh charge.

Furnaces for accomplishing the above-mentioned objects have heretoforebeen hung and balanced upon trunnions at their sides, and caused tooscillate thereon, as circumstances required, and their vents fordischarging the gases of combustion have been placed in the side or rearend of t-he furnace, abutting against a rigid or stationary pipe fitted`into the chimney of the furnace. In my invention the furnace is hingedat its rear end instead of being balanced upon trunnions in the centerof its sides. By this construction it will incline downward by its ownweight whenever released from the horizontal position in which it isheld by 4whatever means that may be adopted to maintain it in thatposition. The vent for the discharge of the products of combustion fromthe furnace, instead of being in the side or end thereof, is situated inthe top of the furnace, and opens A into a hinged pipe secured to achimney, so

that the furnace may be lowered and withdrawn from contact with thishinged pipe or ilue and.V again be raised, and form a close joint withit without requiring any skill or particular care in making the jointtight, and without danger of breaking the pipe in attempting to bringthe furnace into contact with it.

This invention is an improvement upon the invention set forth in thepatent granted to me on the 21st day of May, 1867, for improvements inseparating zinc from gold and silver, and also upon the invention setforth in the patent granted to A. F. Du Faur,` assigner, on the 25th dayof October, 1870, for improvements in retort-furnaces.

In the drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a frontelevation, and Fig. 2 a section, of a hinged furnace containing a:retort, as constructed by me in this invention.

In these figures, A is the retort-within the furnace. B is the vent inthe top of the furnace opening into the chimney for the discharge of theproducts of combustion. C is the chimney of the furnace. D is a hinge atthe rear end of the furnace. One portion of this hinge may be formedupon a ribbed plate secured to the back of the furnace and joined by apin` to' the other portion thereof, which may be attached to anysuitable support. The

particular construction of this hinge, however,

constitutes no part of this invention. E is a y line passing over apulley attached to any convenient support, the line E being attached tothe furnace. When it is' slacked up the furnace will turn upon the hingeD downward by its own weight." When it is desired to raise the furnace,hauling on the line E will elevate it to a horizontal position. F is ahinge of ordinary construction upon the pipe G, which pipe G covers thedischarge-vent B ofthe furnace when the furnace is in a horizontalposition.

It will be observed that if balanced upon n tort or retorts, theleverage of the furnace alone requiring to be overcome Without theadditional Weight of the charge of metal in the act of 'raising thefurnace.

The object of using the hinge F is to allow the pipe G to rise or give77when the furnace is brought back into a horizontal position after thecontents of the retorts have been discharged. Any sudden or violentmovement by careless Workmen in elevating the furnace would lift thispipe or flue at the hinge F, and thereby prevent any damage to it byforcible contact With it. This hinged pipe, may, therefore, be used toadvantage with any oscillating furnace. It is made of iron and linedwith fire-brick, fire-clay, or other suitable refractory material. Thevent B being in the top of the furnace instead of in the side or rearend thereof, thereby allows a better circulation of the heat in thefurnace around and over the tops of the retorts before it escapes up thechimney.

EDWARD BALBAGH, JR. [n s@ Witnesses:

OLIVER BRAKE, DAVID COLLINS.

